Oranges/Gary Soto critical analysis

An orange can symbolize many things, but in this poem it symbolizes color and a child's joy. The first sentence is broken into small lines so that the reader pauses at the end of each line. "The first time I walkedWith a girl, I was twelve,Cold, and weighted downWith two oranges in my jacket.aE(lines 1-4) Each end has a concrete word to give signifigance to the phrase, such as walked, twelve, and jacket. Soto again uses the vision of the oranges, as bulges in the boys' pocket. Soto uses "December.aE (line 5) as a one-word sentence to give it emphasis. It is important to note that the month is December, because the significance of having oranges in the winter is rare and or expensive. Although cold outside, the boy is not concerned about the cold, as his heart is warmed with the thought of his walk with the girl. Soto's use of informal dictation in this poem enhances the overall theme of the youthful excitement of the event and what it meant to the boy. "Frost cracklingaE"Beneath my steps, my breathBefore me, then gone,As I walked towardHer house, the one whosePorch light burned yellowNight and day, in